


Raised

by Giroshane



Series: Human Nature [2]
Category: Book of Life (2014)
Genre: Drabble, Gen, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:47:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26865403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Giroshane/pseuds/Giroshane
Summary: The General had yet to be perturbed. He soon would be, Maria would see to that.~~A short drabble set in the Human Nature universe.
Relationships: Joaquín Mondragón/María Posada/Manolo Sánchez
Series: Human Nature [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1959868
Comments: 3
Kudos: 20





	Raised

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven't read Human Nature, you should probably read that first. If you're a stubborn bastard (as I myself have been known to be), the most pressing to know is that Maria's a werewolf, and she was turned at the convent! (and you should read Human Nature so you can learn more). I found this old drabble recently and figured I'd dust it off and share it, especially since it's the 5th anniversary since I published Human Nature!

  
"Maria, I think it's time we headed home for the evening. It's getting kind of _late_ , amor." Manolo said, smile forced. His words were pointed, but unheeded. No, Maria was far too angry for that.

"Don't interrupt me, please." She said, the barest restraint in her voice. She didn't even break the glare she was holding with her father. Her husbands stood off to the side, trying to make peace of the situation. But it was far too late to save this.

"What did you just say about Mama?" She repeated, rising to her feet slowly, dangerously. The General had yet to be perturbed. He soon would be, Maria would see to that.

"That woman was out of control, an utter disaster." He nodded, arms crossed.

"Really? You didn't seem to think so 20 years ago." Maria spat. She could sense her boys behind her, wincing. Likewise, she could feel the constriction in her chest, the sense of a corset drawn too tight, and the feeling of prickles all over her skin.

"M-Maria..." Joaquin tried to whisper. "You really should _go_..."

Why should she? Her father was the one who had forced them to stay in town this time, "sick" of the fact that Maria left so often, that neither her or her husband would settle down. Let him see the consequences.

"That was before I grew wise! Before I realized what a mistake even interacting with that woman would even be." Posada scoffed. Those words dug into her like daggers. Behind her, both Manolo and Joaquin tensed, out of their own rage as well as out of fear of hers. They all heard the implications in those words.

"Is that all I am then? Is that what I am to you? A _mistake_?" Maria hissed, fist slamming on the table. Her other fist was twitching. In fact, her shoulder was twitching as well. Her heartbeat was pounding against her ribcage, faster than normal, faster than _human_. The prickles were starting to hurt more, but it wasn't something she couldn't handle. No, she could always handle it now. In fact, it was almost nice, pain and anger mixing with each other in her head.

"You could have been!" The General stood also. A prideful grin seeped across his face. "But I straightened you out."

"Straightened me out!? You didn't do anything! You put me on a _boat_ and let someone _else_ deal with me for ten years." She snarled. And maybe, just maybe, her teeth were sharper than they should be.

" _Fuck_. We need to get her out of here." Joaquin whispered, inaudible to the General but perfectly heard by Maria. She could hear the movement of skin gripping fabric--Joaquin was holding back Manolo, who was just as incited by General Posada's words as she was.

"I don't think that's going to happen." Manolo replied darkly.

"But--the General!" Joaquin hissed. "Maria's secret!"

"He brought this on himself."

Oh yes. Yes he did.

"It was the best decision! Look at you now. Almost a proper lady." The General stood firm. _Proper lady_. Oh how Maria _loathed_ those words.

"Proper lady," She growled. She began to stalk towards her father, slow and dangerous. "Because that's all that is important to you."

Gracefully she ran her fingers around the edge of a wine glass on the table. She wasn't sure how she accomplished this with her hands shaking like they were, but maybe her anger had stilled them. Slowly she tipped it off the table. It shattered at her feet, glass flying over the floor. The General jumped at the impact.

"Maria, control yourself." He ordered. Oh no. Maria was not ordered. She was not ordered to do anything, she was not ordered by anyone.

"Proper lady," She repeated. "Because that's more important than raising your own child."

She slid her plate to the floor next. She didn't stop her approach. She could feel her bones start to crack and shift within her. The spot at the base of her spine burned.

"Maria, you will control yourself this instant!" Posada roared. He took a step back away from her though, and she could see the glimmer of nervous fear in his eye. _Good_.

"More important than watching her grow." Manolo's glass fell to the ground. "More important than seeing her become strong, and smart, and beautiful." Manolo's plate.

"Fuck." Joaquin hissed. "We're fucked."

"Maria, you will listen to me right now! I am your father!" The General cried, a little more panic in his voice. There was a burn in Maria's eyes and she closed them for a moment. When she reopened them, her world was nothing but grays, whites, and blacks. Her father's glass.

"'Father' implies raising and nurturing. You did neither." She stepped out of her shoes easily, not caring if she stepped over glass or not--the skin down there was already tough and padded enough that she wouldn't be hurt. "The convent did."

Her father's plate.

"You will stop this at once! I did not send you to them to be raised by wolves!"

Maria paused, then she broke into a wide, sharp grin. In fact, she laughed and laughed and laughed because, oh, that was _so_ fitting. She laughed even though the bone in her left shoulder snapped and forced her to hunch over.

" _Fuck_." Manolo muttered this time.

She laughed even though the prickles had taken over every inch of her. Now her father's eyes were wide with fear and horror.

"Too bad, Papa." She growled, voice barely human. "Because that's exactly what you _did_."

**Author's Note:**

> And to think this came from me thinking about the phrase "raised by wolves" and then goin a little hogwild XD I feel like I should have a...Disclaimer: Maria does not physically harm her father. She just scares him half to death. Lol.
> 
> Hope y'all enjoyed! I think I saved this back in the olden days when I was planning to write more for this universe and this scene would have been in a larger story. Obviously that never came to be, and so here this is now, to commemorate this universe. Happy fifth anniversary to Human Nature! Don't worry, I know I'm the only one who cares about this at all. Human Nature is just kind of important to me, it was one of the first longform pieces I ever wrote in a really short period, and I honestly believe it still holds up as a standalone story, even five years later. It's ok to be proud of your old writing, kids! 
> 
> And if you follow me for the other fandoms I'm currently writing for *cough cough* mag7 and tmfu *cough cough*, don't worry, I'm still working on those, however slowly (October is literally the busiest month of the year for me) (I'm tryin).


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